November 30, 2011

Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman gets a standing ovation today during a speech to the New Hampshire Legislature.

CONCORD, N.H. - In a rare moment of bipartisanship amid the 2012 presidential campaign, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch - a Democrat - shared the stage today with Republican Jon Huntsman.
The men shook hands at Concord High School, and, in an unusually cordial moment, Lynch praised Huntsman’s commitment to New Hampshire.
“You’ve been here so frequently, you’re almost a native,” Lynch told Huntsman, who is counting on a strong finish in the state’s leadoff presidential primary to ignite his campaign. “I do want to thank Governor Huntsman for his steadfast commitment to the New Hampshire primary.”

Huntsman was partway through a town hall meeting with students when Lynch, who had been attending an executive council breakfast at the school, walked in. The Huntsman campaign said the moment was not planned.

Huntsman, the former governor of Utah, immediately introduced Lynch and asked students to applaud.
“We were elected together in 2004,” said Huntsman, referring to the year both were first elected governor. “I have great respect and admiration for your governor.”
Huntsman shook hands with Lynch and patted him on the back. Lynch thanked Huntsman for recognizing the importance of retail politics in New Hampshire. He has held over 110 events in the state.
“I think the New Hampshire primary makes candidates better candidates as they campaign around the country and eventually makes them better presidents of the US,” Lynch said. “Governor Huntsman been a strong, strong proponent of the New Hampshire primary.”
A handshake with a Democratic governor, who has more frequently appeared with the President Obama than with his GOP rivals, could undercut Huntsman’s attempts to portray himself as a conservative.
During an interview with the Globe yesterday, Huntsman also refused to rule out an independent candidacy for the presidency should his bid for the Republican nomination fail.
But the Lynch embrace may serve him well in New Hampshire, whose voters have re-elected the popular Lynch for four terms.

Polling this summer by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found that more than half of Republican and independent voters approve of the job Lynch is doing.
On the campaign trail, Huntsman frequently appeals to Republicans, independents, and Democrats, and talks about the need for the country to come together.